Rockies

Chacin Leads Rockies Over Padres, 14-2

Jhoulys Chacin #45 and manager Walt Weiss #22 of the Colorado Rockies have a talk between innings as rain falls during a game against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on August 12, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. A rain delay was called in the eighth inning with the Rockies leading 8-1. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

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DENVER (AP) – Jhoulys Chacin did his part on the mound and found a way to chip in with his bat.

Chacin pitched eight solid innings and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, leading the Colorado Rockies past the San Diego Padres, 14-2 on a rainy Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

“That’s how we win games: Pitch well, play good defense and get some runs when we have the opportunity,” Chacin said. “I really hit that ball. I didn’t know where it was. I think I got lucky, but that helps the team when you do that.”

D.J. LeMahieu had three hits, including a homer, a double and two RBIs in a game that included a 63-minute weather delay. Dexter Fowler went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, Wilin Rosario added three RBIs and Nolan Arenado had four hits and an RBI as the Rockies put up a season high in runs.

“Everything is clicking the last four games, everything,” LeMahieu said. “Offense, baserunning, and our defense was great tonight. Our pitching was great tonight. Put all four of those things together, we’re a pretty tough team to beat.”

Chacin (11-6) set an effective tone from the outset, working out of first-inning trouble by inducing Yonder Alonso to ground into a double play with runners at first and third and one out. He nipped another potential rally by getting Jedd Gyorko to ground into a double play after Alonso singled to begin the fourth.

Chacin also benefited from exceptional defense after giving up a leadoff double to Gyorko in the second. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki ranged to his right to snare Logan Forsythe’s grounder and got him at first with a strong off-balance throw, while also holding Alonso at second.

Corey Dickerson then made a tremendous running catch of Jaff Decker’s drive to left, and Fowler tracked down Nick Hundley’s fast-moving fly to center at the warning track.

The Rockies, meanwhile, again teed off on Edinson Volquez (8-10), who allowed eight runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings. He’s 0-4 with a 13.07 ERA in five starts against Colorado this season and the Padres also lost his other start.

“I don’t know, it looked like they knew everything that was coming,” Volquez said. “I guess I’ve got to watch the videos and find out what it is.”

Colorado got to Volquez early, going in front in the first inning on Rosario’s two-run single.

LeMahieu led off the second with his second homer of the season, driving Volquez’s 1-1 offering into the left-field bleachers. One out later, Fowler walked and Dickerson doubled him home. Dickerson went to third on a wild pitch and scored Colorado’s fifth run on a grounder by Tulowitzki, who reached on third baseman Chase Headley’s errant throw to first.

LeMahieu said the Rockies’ familiarity with Volquez was a big factor in their offensive burst.

“I don’t think it’s anything he’s doing,” LeMahieu said. “It’s just that we’ve seen him so many times, we kind of know what he’s going to do. He threw me a breaking ball (on the homer). He hung it a little bit and I was trying to be aggressive, too, but he hung it. I’m sure he’d want that pitch back.”

The Rockies added three more runs in the fifth. Todd Helton and Arenado had successive singles. After Charlie Blackmon hit into force play, Volquez walked LeMahieu to load the bases, ending his night.

Chacin greeted Sean O’Sullivan with a deep fly to right that scored Arenado, and Fowler followed with a sharp single to right to drive in two more runs for an 8-0 lead.

Decker broke up Chacin’s shutout bid with two outs in the seventh when he homered for his first major league hit. Decker’s drive reached the seats in right center.

After the Rockies came off the rain delay to score six runs in the eighth, helped by the Padres’ fourth error of the game on a dropped throw by first baseman Alonso, Gyorko connected off Jeff Francis for his 11th homer.

NOTES: The Rockies’ previous high for runs in a game was 12, which was achieved twice. … Padres OF Kyle Blanks, on the 15-day disabled list since mid-July with a left Achilles’ injury, is set to begin running again later this week. Manager Bud Black said before the game he’s on track to be activated soon. … Rockies OF Michael Cuddyer missed a second consecutive game because of an illness. … Padres LHP Eric Stults (8-10) is slated to pitch the second game of the set against Jeff Manship (0-1), who was recalled a week ago from the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs.